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Blogging about things that matter to me.
Photographing things I love - Instagram @debcyork.
Writing about both.
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Monday, 13 February 2017

Share, share, share

So what to write about in the face of seemingly endless new political crises? And endless awards ceremonies too. Don't get me wrong, I love a good look at the frocks for the Oscars but the build-up to that seems to be longer every year. As do the arguments over the bias/winners/losers/participants.

Cinema is something I love. One of the few things to survive parenthood too. Initially, the cinema seemed a dreadful luxury - paying a sitter to go and see a film cost more than the actual tickets. But then one of my pre-natal buddies and I struck a deal. Take out membership of the local independent cinema (it serves alcohol - what's not to love). Make a pact to go whenever possible. All George Clooney and Brad Pitt films would be seen, regardless of reviews - this condition has since been amended to include Jamie Dornan and Ryan Gosling.

Once the children were old enough to go to the cinema, it was (eventually) bliss. There were a few false starts ('Oh no! Dark, Mummy! Really dark!'). But mainly, film has been something to share with both of them. New films to look forward to. Details to pick over afterwards. (Although I have been known to nap during some of the more obscure Disney epics.)

And don't we all need things to bond over? Whether it be a viral video from YouTube, a set of jokes, a book or a shared meal, film or outing. I do always wonder what it must have been like in, say, Regency times. when news travelled so slowly and books were not easy to come by. I always love the Back In Time programmes which explore ordinary life in different ages. I have posted about them before, in fact.

However, in these darkening times, commonalities are more important than ever. The more people who see, for example, the US Saturday Night Live sketches of Alec Baldwin as Donald Trump, the better. Ridicule is a powerful weapon. On Twitter, Right wing commentators are saying that such satire is simply being performed because 'the liberals' are angry at having lost the election.

But here's a thought. Maybe if more people had laughed at Hitler's posturing, poked fun at Mussolini, been able to share videos of the ridiculous rallies with added comedic commentaries, possibly their vile messages would have been diffused. If not diffused then at least had a light shone upon them sooner.

[And by the way, with reference to my post last week, I have just rematched another episode of The Nazis: A Warning From History. It talked about Hitler's refusal to deal with paperwork, his lack of concentration or interest in policy and his indolent approach to government...]